Interviews

Walking Dead at SDCC 2014

Fans of the hit AMC series “The Walking Dead” have been at the edge of their seats ever since last season’s high intensity finale wandering about the fate of our beloved survivors. This year at Comic Con 2014, AMC revealed a epic brand-new trailer for Season Five and it was literally mind-blowing!

I was able to catch up with the cast of “The Walking Dead” during a press roundtable session during Comic Con 2014 to get the important details about the upcoming season straight from the source. Even after the interviews were said and done, I still think that this trailer was the most revealing, as far as plot details are concerned. If you haven’t see it yet..you can view it below:

There has been a lot of talk about the relationship between Rick and Carl throughout the first three seasons of the show with Carl’s rebellion and then ultimate respect for his father’s authority. However, with the death of Lori which cause Carl to lose his mother and Rick to lose his wife, Carl begins to question Rick’s ability as a leader.

Chandler Riggs tells us “In season four Carl sees that Rick has stepped down for the leadership role and taken on the role of being a father more and that is the idea of Rick that Carl likes and he really respects him for that”.

Andrew Lincoln adds “We’ve done a lot of healing in this relationship and now you find us in the worse position we’ve ever been, yet we are probably at the most unified. Rick is the most conflict free that he has ever been and that makes him incredibly dangerous and a great leader”.

Lincoln also says “We can’t say a lot about what’s coming up, but if you think about those character elements it starts from where we left it and where we go next”.

There was also a lot of talk about the family element of the show in particular the scene right after Rick bites the man to save Carl and then they reunite with Daryl. Lincoln comments “There is a thing that I am discovering this season, is that if you stand beside Rick, you are family. If you stand in front of us you are a problem and this season is about what side you are going to take”.

Riggs comments “When the group is split apart they are vulnerable to anything, but when they are together they are impenetrable. You can’t get rid of them as you find out with Terminus”.

In regards to where the new season is headed, Lincoln says “With the new season, we are going into the heart of darkness. This is a grown-up show and it should be seen as that, we are responsible with the ratings, but I think it needs to be talked about. This is a very brutal show, but there is a deep sense of heart”.

We spoke with actor Norman Reedus about Daryl’s head space going into the new episodes to which Reedus comments “There has been so much gradual change for Daryl from season one up until now and he is so different. That same trajectory will continue for him. All of these characters get more hardened as we move along, they have more experience with loss and grief, so everyone is kind of in fifth gear right now”.

Executive producer Greg Nicotero also commented that he is thankful that he has the ability to be protective over a lot of the show’s characters such as Daryl and Rick from the outline onward. He says ” I feel like I have a really good hand in being able to shape these characters. I know how these guys will play them so, we have a really unique shorthand”.

Nicotero also adds “I fight a lot to make sure these character’s instincts are preserved, because right now it’s really hard. Everything is criss-crossing leading to the mid-season finale”.

Fans of the series truly seemed to hook into Daryl’s sensitive side this season and the character has soared in popularity. Reedus comments “It has been part of the trajectory throughout part of last season as well and the search for Sophia. I got a lot of girl fans after the speech about the trail of tears and that was season two, it is crazy that it is still going like this. I love it. I’m just curious where we are all headed”.

From what we were hearing from all the cast and crew, the first six minutes of the upcoming premiere are going to incredibly intense. Showrunner Scott Gimple comments “I am always blown away by the amount of families that watch The Walking Dead together and then are able to have discussions about what happened during certain points in the show because there is something to talk about with this show. It really freaks me out, with the first six minutes of the premiere, that families are going to be watching it, because it is very, very intense. And since I’ve seen it three hundred times already, I’m wondering if I’m the same person”.

Gimple also adds ” The Walking Dead is one of the most humanistic shows on television. A show that is about people trying to stay together, trying to not just stay alive but keep their humanity alive. There’s a lot of nihilism on TV. Like ‘nihilism is super cool,’ the antihero and everything. I grew up at a time when Megadeth and Metallica was like the music. I dig the music, but I kind of had my fill of nihilism when I was a kid.”

Actor Steven Yeun says “Our show has a way of creating lasting legacies and every single death accounts for something or means something. Hershel’s death was especially meaningful for both Maggie and Glen, as it instilled something in them and why they persevered through everything and eventually found one another”.

Gimple comments ” Love definitely exists on The Walking Dead, it is the thing that keeps them going and it is also an incredibly dangerous thing. I am proud to do stories with these guys that are actually about human beings”.

Many fans were curious as to what was happening with the rumored spin-off for the series. Robert Kirkman reveals that he is doing something with it everyday and comments “It’s taking a while, but it’s not taking longer than anticipated.”

Stay tuned to PCM for more interviews and details about the upcoming season including Norman Reedus’ comments about Daryl’s possible romance with Beth, how soon Carol and Tyrese will find the group, and the cast and crew’s reaction to the intensity of the first six minutes of the premiere episode.

The new season of The Walking Dead will air on AMC on October 12, 2014

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About the Author

Kristyn Clarke

I am a journalist and interviewer who is completely obsessed with music, TV, film and all other aspects of pop culture! I am currently the Director of Operations for PopCultureMadness.com and my work can also be found on MusicMayhemMagazine.com, TheRockRevival.com, and TryItToday.com!
Have my B.S. in Television/Video Production from Wilmington University and have been working in online media for the past ten years and loving every moment of it!

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